What Has Happened to America's Jesus?

[Guest guest]

Published on Monday, February 13, 2006 by USA Today

What Has Happened to America's Jesus?

by Rob Borsellino

 

I remember when Jesus Christ was about religion.

That goes back to when he was caring and compassionate

all the time, not just during the political campaign

season.

 

He used to bring people together and give them hope.

He wouldn't have his people get in your face and tell

you to fight gay rights or you'll burn in hell. That's

not what he was about. That's not the Jesus who made

folks such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson rich and

famous. He was a different guy from the 21st-century

American Jesus Christ.

 

When I recently visited Sicily, Italy, the old Jesus

was all over the place. His statue was on the counter

at the restaurant and the coffee house. His image was

on the wall at the clothing store and in the hotel

lobby. And there was a huge painting of him on the

side of an apartment building.

 

Sometimes he was with his mom and dad, and sometimes

he was sitting with his pals — the apostles. Mostly he

was hanging from the cross. Whatever he was up to, it

was all about religion.

 

It was interesting because I didn't go to Sicily

looking for a religious experience. I went looking for

what's left of my family. My grandfather and his

brother came to the United States in 1904 and left

behind their parents and two sisters. The sisters had

kids, grandkids, great grandkids.

 

I never met any of those people, and I knew nothing

about Sicily except the obvious — pizza and the Mafia.

My wife thought it was time to connect. She made some

calls and let the family know we were coming.

 

We landed in Palermo, got our bags and were met by my

cousin Peppino Rizzuti, who was holding a handwritten

sign with my name on it.

 

He was there with three other cousins. They hooked us

up with more family and spent the next seven days

driving us all over the island and stuffing us with

mozzarella, prosciutto, olives and about 50 kinds of

pasta.

 

My cousin Maria made the sign of the cross before she

ate. My cousin Antonio's car had a figurine of a saint

on the dashboard. My cousin Gian Marco had a beautiful

cross hanging from his neck.

 

But nobody was going on about God, Jesus and religion.

It didn't come up. I saw all that and was reminded

that you can be a decent person — a good son, husband

and father — and still oppose the war in Iraq. You can

be a caring, thoughtful member of your community and

still question whether Justice Samuel Alito should

have been confirmed. Jesus won't get mad at you.

 

Several times during the week, I thought about telling

my family what's happened to Jesus in the United

States — how he's been kidnapped by politicians and

preachers who decide what he does and doesn't think.

They speak for him, and it doesn't always make sense.

 

They say Jesus is " pro life, " but he doesn't seem to

have a problem with the death penalty. And he thinks

stem cell research — something that would save lives —

is no different from murdering babies. They say he's

the embodiment of kindness, love, decency and

compassion. But he hates gays, lesbians and Muslims.

And he's not too crazy about Buddhists, Hindus and the

rest. Jews? He can put up with them if he has to.

 

The Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church in

Topeka claims to speak for Jesus and goes around the

country talking about how " AIDS cures fags. " Pat

Robertson says it would be a good idea if the United

States killed the president of Venezuela. It would be

a lot cheaper than starting another war.

 

All week I went over that stuff in my head and decided

not to mention any of it to the family.

 

It would make America look ridiculous.

 

Rob Borsellino is a columnist for The Des Moines

Register and author of " So I'm talkin' to this guy

... " .

 

© 2006 USA Today

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